Afsheen Teli Dada, founder of Kearo, is an inter-disciplinary designer, creating organic spaces in the realm of residential, commercial and retail architecture. In the span of the last 20 years, she has collected a body of work that features not just functional spaces but poetic expressions of form. Dada’s designs are luminous, distinguished by a masterful play of light and shadow. Spaces slowly reveal their secrets as layers are peeled back.

Kearo was founded with a vision to curate interiors that would stimulate the senses, through colour, materials, form and exceptional design. The name comes from the Italian term ‘chiaroscuro’ which literally means light-dark. Specifically, it refers to tonal contrasts in paintings and this philosophy informs the design system at Kearo. Imbued with a choreography of natural light, spaces come alive as the dance continues throughout the day. For Kearo light is not just a utility, it is a muse, a sculptor, a painter all at once.

Dada and her team believe in creating structures that are essentially a dialogue with nature. They honour the sanctity of each habitat even as they invoke innovation-led design. Spaces seamlessly blend with their environment while staying true to the desires of those who will inhabit them. Their work strives to find that fleeting sense of balance, created by the perfect juxtaposition of form and function, nature and man-made, dark and light.

At the heart of her work, Dada is a visionary. In a world of chaotic and irresponsible design choices, she continues to fight with sustainable architectural practices, with local materials and with thoughtful, meaningful creation.